Recruiting Agencies Will Be at Dewey Today; Partners Relieved to Get $25K Draws

Dewey & LeBoeuf is bringing two recruiting agencies to its New York offices today as the struggling law firm deals with more departures and a preliminary criminal investigation.

An email sent to New York employees says the recruiters will help staffers think through their options, the New York Times DealBook blog reports. The story tells of lawyers hoarding cardboard boxes in case they need to pack their belongings, while the Am Law Daily and the Daily Journal (sub. req.) cite reports and an unnamed source as saying photocopying and some mail services are shut down.

Despite continuing troubles, the firm has not issued layoff notices to staff, the Am Law Daily says. To their relief, partners who were up to date on billing received their monthly draws of $25,000 on Thursday, according to DealBook.

Former California Attorney General John Van de Kamp, who is of counsel in the firm’s Los Angeles office, told of a “glum” mood at the firm in an interview with the Daily Journal. “It’s pretty funereal. I think the tragedy, and there are lots of people that are affected by this, but it starts at the bottom, the people who work in the IT section, the secretaries, the associates, who are wondering where to go,” he said.

The Am Law Daily is following Dewey partner departures with an online tracker.

Related coverage:

ABAJournal.com: “Lawyers Describe ‘Chaos’ at Dewey, Where Some Partners Had Pay Packages Worth $5M a Year”